Missy Elliott

Missy Elliott came up in Portsmouth, Virginia, and broke through in 1997 with her debut album 'Supa Dupa Fly.' That record, produced with Timbaland, set the tone for what followed: a run of albums like 'Miss E... So Addictive' and 'The Cookbook' that mixed hip-hop, R&B, and electronic sounds into something genuinely new. Songs like 'Get Ur Freak On' and 'Work It' weren't just hits; they felt like events, built on clattering, inventive beats and her own sharp, playful delivery.

Her music videos were just as distinctive. She worked with directors like Hype Williams to create surreal, high-concept clips that became fixtures on MTV. The visual style, bulky suits, fisheye lenses, choreographed chaos, was as much a part of her identity as the music itself. It helped that she wrote and produced not just for herself but for other artists, shaping the sound of late-90s and early-2000s pop and R&B from behind the boards as well.

In 2008, Elliott was diagnosed with Graves' disease, an autoimmune condition that affects the thyroid. She stepped back from music for a while to focus on her health. When she returned, she picked up where she left off, releasing new material and collaborating with artists across generations. She's kept recording, too, tracks like 'Lose Control' and the more recent 'Lobby' show she hasn't lost the knack for a kinetic, off-kilter groove.

She's talked openly about facing sexism and racism in the industry, but mostly she's just kept making music that doesn't sound like anyone else's.